DeLand High on alert after Facebook rumor of someone shooting up school

Published: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 11:36 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 10:58 p.m.

Volusia County school officials requested that police post an officer at DeLand High School on Wednesday after students reported someone was planning to shoot up the school.

DeLand police Sgt. Chris Estes confirmed his agency sent an officer to the school Wednesday "to augment the school resource officer on duty at the school due to an unverified potential incident reported."

"We are taking extra precautions," Estes said.

All high schools for years have had a Volusia County sheriff's deputy on duty.

According to school district spokeswoman Nancy Wait, a couple of students reported overhearing talk Tuesday about someone shooting up the school Thursday.

"It was just a rumor but the message started circulating on Facebook so we asked for a DeLand police officer to be at the school," Wait said.

The incident is under investigation, said sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson.

School officials have been in communication with students to let them know the rumor has not been substantiated, Wait said.

Phone messages were also sent to parents to let them know about it, Wait said.

The high school has been on high alert since Monday because of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut. Now, school officials are working with law enforcement and investigators are talking with the students to see if they can track down the source of the information, Wait said.

"They are doing what they can do to trace down the information," Wait said. "The reports are very vague and have no details."

Davidson said two students alerted school administration to conversations they overheard on campus indicating there was going to be a shooting at the school on Thursday.

Additionally, information was received from a student regarding a Facebook posting that supposedly contained a threat directed at the school, Davidson said.

The Sheriff's Office's school resource deputy on campus initiated an investigation in conjunction with school administrators.

The student who reported the Facebook threat was interviewed, but wasn't able to provide any specific details about the source and said the post had been taken down. Students who reported overhearing chatter on campus also have been interviewed and are continuing to be interviewed, but so far no one has reported hearing anyone actually talking about planning to carry out a shooting.

"It has just been students talking about rumors and what they've overheard from others, with no actual corroboration or substantiation of any actual threat, " Davidson said.

Despite the fact that no student has firsthand knowledge of a threat, the rumors are persisting on campus and being perpetuated through social networks, Davidson said.

"As a result, in addition to the investigation and efforts at rumor control, there will be an increased law enforcement presence on campus today and tomorrow as a safety precaution," Davidson said Wednesday.

Deputies in other parts of the state have been dealing with threats to schools on social media since the Connecticut shootings in which 26 students and school officials were killed by a suicidal shooter who forced his way into the school. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reported being inundated by reports of threats on social media this week.

<p>Volusia County school officials requested that police post an officer at DeLand High School on Wednesday after students reported someone was planning to shoot up the school.</p><p>DeLand police Sgt. Chris Estes confirmed his agency sent an officer to the school Wednesday "to augment the school resource officer on duty at the school due to an unverified potential incident reported."</p><p>"We are taking extra precautions," Estes said.</p><p>All high schools for years have had a Volusia County sheriff's deputy on duty.</p><p>According to school district spokeswoman Nancy Wait, a couple of students reported overhearing talk Tuesday about someone shooting up the school Thursday.</p><p>"It was just a rumor but the message started circulating on Facebook so we asked for a DeLand police officer to be at the school," Wait said.</p><p>The incident is under investigation, said sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson.</p><p>School officials have been in communication with students to let them know the rumor has not been substantiated, Wait said.</p><p>Phone messages were also sent to parents to let them know about it, Wait said.</p><p>The high school has been on high alert since Monday because of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut. Now, school officials are working with law enforcement and investigators are talking with the students to see if they can track down the source of the information, Wait said.</p><p>"They are doing what they can do to trace down the information," Wait said. "The reports are very vague and have no details." </p><p> </p><p>Davidson said two students alerted school administration to conversations they overheard on campus indicating there was going to be a shooting at the school on Thursday. </p><p>Additionally, information was received from a student regarding a Facebook posting that supposedly contained a threat directed at the school, Davidson said. </p><p>The Sheriff's Office's school resource deputy on campus initiated an investigation in conjunction with school administrators. </p><p>The student who reported the Facebook threat was interviewed, but wasn't able to provide any specific details about the source and said the post had been taken down. Students who reported overhearing chatter on campus also have been interviewed and are continuing to be interviewed, but so far no one has reported hearing anyone actually talking about planning to carry out a shooting. </p><p>"It has just been students talking about rumors and what they've overheard from others, with no actual corroboration or substantiation of any actual threat, " Davidson said. </p><p> </p><p>Despite the fact that no student has firsthand knowledge of a threat, the rumors are persisting on campus and being perpetuated through social networks, Davidson said.</p><p>"As a result, in addition to the investigation and efforts at rumor control, there will be an increased law enforcement presence on campus today and tomorrow as a safety precaution," Davidson said Wednesday. </p><p>Deputies in other parts of the state have been dealing with threats to schools on social media since the Connecticut shootings in which 26 students and school officials were killed by a suicidal shooter who forced his way into the school. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reported being inundated by reports of threats on social media this week.</p>